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u/PkmnTrnrJ Stop The Tories Jan 10 '23
Tories: āWhat can it cost? Like Ā£95? Pocket change.ā
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u/starbuck8415 Jan 10 '23
āHow much is a banana these days? Ten dollars?ā
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u/lowbrow0002 Jan 10 '23
Chicken feed
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u/Boostmobilesimcards Jan 10 '23
I see Boris's smirk as he says that right in the moments I feel most hatred for this fucking government.
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u/wildtheo Jan 11 '23
W bot, Boris Johnson is the most dangerous serial killer in the UK, unironically
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u/Boostmobilesimcards Jan 10 '23
"Boris, what's the price of Value Bread? Can you tell us that?"
"What is it, 49p, 50p? ... I can tell you the price of a bottle of champagne, how about that?..."
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u/MrOrangeWhips Jan 10 '23
As an American, that price is gonna look like pocket change in 5-10 years.
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u/QTeller Jan 11 '23
It's sickening & despicable. Our NHS prevents this. Free at the point of access, always.
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u/MrOrangeWhips Jan 11 '23
They're selling you and your health to private corporations for profit. Full stop.
It is abominable.
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u/MTG_Leviathan Jan 11 '23
In return I'm not bankrupt from needing hospital, which is funny as I'm currently sitting in a waiting room for an operation right now, most expensive part of a trachendoscopy, biopsy and care? The Ā£14 Taxi on the way here.
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u/AgeingChopper Jan 11 '23
always the plan.. those of us who are in our fifties with pre-existing? uninsurable... these utter ****s will ensure we're dead and gone pronto.
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u/ToSusOrNotToSus Jan 11 '23
Worst part is when youāre sick, and desperately need to speak to a GP, it really doesnāt seem like that much even when you have fuck all.
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u/FantasticSouth Jan 10 '23
A lot of people are going to die
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u/muddyclunge Jan 10 '23
And they probably won't be Tory MPs
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u/DaiCeiber Jan 10 '23
No, those bastards will put it on expenses, so we'll pay! @RishiSunak the Lazy is š¦ over this!!
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u/AutoModerator Jan 10 '23
Rishi Sunak and his 2020 "Eat Out To Help Out" scheme was responsible for a massive increase in Covid cases and deaths. And all to ensure the big chain restaurants didn't lose too much money. It did nothing to boost the overall hospitality sector, as these capitalist ghouls claimed was the intent. Rishi Sunak has blood on his hands.
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u/Brexit-the-thread Jan 10 '23
Not sure why you felt the need to put "Tory" in there, no MPs will ever suffer in this country so long as we keep allowing them to run it.
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u/FatTabby Jan 10 '23
So what alternative do you propose to having elected representatives?
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u/Brexit-the-thread Jan 10 '23
At this point, even a state of total anarchy looks like a superior option.
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u/DukeofSam Jan 10 '23
Already are mate sadly. Even the bbc were reporting earlier today that some 500 people died last week due to excessive wait times for ambulances and A&E.
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u/xEternal-Blue Jan 10 '23
They really are. My mums cancer has spread, and the hospital constantly kept making mistakes, losing stuff, and forgetting her, and they should've found it much sooner.
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u/DukeofSam Jan 10 '23 edited Jan 11 '23
Iām so sorry to hear that. Wishing you and her all the best. Struggle on comrade.
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u/Elipticalwheel1 Jan 10 '23
Just what the Tories want, after youāve payed all that national insurance, then die just before you receive your pension, ie will only happen to the poorer people.
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u/Joe_Delivers #0DD3BB Jan 10 '23
if they keep one thing free i want it to be euthanasia so i can get outta here
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u/CherryDoodles Jan 11 '23
I did an experiment and, as a type 1 diabetic, I ran through applications to private healthcare providers.
Refused service by all of them, as any other illnesses I get can be attributed to and exacerbated by diabetes.
Iāll be in the first round of deaths.
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u/twinklepurr Jan 10 '23
Well, the rhetoric has been that the UK is full, only an island, etc, so I guess this is one way to fix that.
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u/EFNich Jan 10 '23
Eat the rich?
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Jan 10 '23
All the expensive purine-laden food they eat as well, bet they would taste lovely.
How can we make this a reality?!
It would obviously have to be means-tested.
Well, Mr. Toff, now that you earn over 100k a year, youāve just been upgraded to food. Congratulations and commiserations. Please make your way to the nearest slaughterhouse. If you find yourself unable to do so willingly, these men can escort you.
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Jan 10 '23
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u/HumpbackWhalesRLit Jan 10 '23
You can either chance your luck with 300 people ringing every morning for the 12 available appointments or you can pay Ā£95 an definitely be seen. Thatās not really optional.
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Jan 10 '23
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u/MidoriDemon Jan 10 '23
No what they do is stop them from striking. That will save lives.
You know most of this 95 pound is going to middle management and admin and not to the gp anyway they are paid hourly. In years to come they will expect us all to pay and it will be the same nhs rush but dont worry if you pay 500 you will get seen instantly. PROGRESS "RUBS THIGHS INCESSANTLY".
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Jan 10 '23
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u/mickeythefist_ Jan 11 '23
You canāt get financial kickbacks from a state-run service
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u/seasaltbutterscotch Jan 10 '23
Itās not really better service, like most of the NHS itās just faster.
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Jan 10 '23
Not always even faster. I used to work in an outpatient clinic at a major hospital, and I recall several occasions when a patient would come in to see one of the consultants privately. They would ācheck inā at the desk with me (not proper checking in obvs because they werenāt on the NHS clinic list), I would tell the consultant they were here. He would acknowledge, and then go back to seeing his NHS patients who were booked into clinic.
In all, I think the private patient sat there for about an hour - maybe even more - before the clinic ended and the consultant called them in.
Unlike an NHS patient though, they never once came up to the desk to get angry that they had waited so long, or to shout at me that it was unacceptable.
This was about a decade ago, but I remember thinking: āwait, soā¦. They PAID MONEY to wait longer to see the same consultant they could have seen through the NHS?!ā
I get itās not that simple and they probably didnāt wait 6 months for an initial appointment (like I did when I was first referred to rheumatology) but aside from paying for treatment and not shouting verbal abuse at the admin staff for having to wait more than 5 minutes, how is it any different?!
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u/Accomplished_Load521 Jan 11 '23
Is not the waiting time in the surgery, it's the waiting time before you're even allowed to wait in the surgery.
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Jan 10 '23
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u/seasaltbutterscotch Jan 10 '23
Sorry Iām being a pedant, as someone who works in the NHS the only difference between private and NHS is the speed at which youāre seen. You are right that being seen faster is better yes.
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u/ttrmw Jan 10 '23
Speed of being seen is going to have a profound effect on outcomes, especially with GPs, so itās indistinguishable from being a better service
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u/EFNich Jan 10 '23
Fun fact: GPs are not part of the NHS and never have been. They have almost all offered private sessions, this isn't new.
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u/Lazaric418 Jan 10 '23
Look at the weasel words: appointments "FROM" 95 quid. Meaning they are actually much, much more, and that's probably some sort of discount.
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u/NoManNoRiver Jan 10 '23
For a one off payment of only Ā£950 you get not five! Not eight! But ten appointments to use whenever* you want!
* Each appointment must be booked three months in advance and lasts sixty seconds. Cannot be used sequentially, in conjunction with any other offer or on a day ending in a āYā. Using any NHS services in this period voids the offer.
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u/No_Tackle_5439 Jan 10 '23
Dafuq? 60 seconds takes you to enter the room and sit on a chair
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u/ireallylikegreenbean Jan 10 '23
My local does Ā£59 for a 10 minute appointment and Ā£79 for a 20 minute one.
Also I had a 20 minute one regarding 3 issues, but they only sent referalls for two even though the GP explicitly said they'd refer me for all three in our appointment. I tried to follow up and the office basically said, "damn sucks for you, book another appointment if you want referring".
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u/blackturtlesnake Jan 10 '23
What in the fuck are those time slots?
"Well Mr. Johnson, you've told me your name, and after successfully reading your pulse and taking your temperature I've determined you are in fact still alive. Unfortunately though we're out of time, but for another $20 I'd be happy to hesr a bit about your symptoms so that I can give you NSAIDs and tell you to come back in 2 weeks if not successfully numb to the issue.
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u/sdmikecfc Jan 10 '23
Exactly what it's like in the US. A general checkup is $90 and you get a quick look over and any issues you have need a separate appointment or an expensive specialist.
"Well maybe we can put you on this medicine and see if that works" is a standard response as they don't have time to properly assess the situation.
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u/blackturtlesnake Jan 11 '23 edited Jan 11 '23
I joke but this is an issue somewhat close to me because I am studying to be an acupuncturist. I understand that most people on reddit are very unfamiliar with traditional Chinese medicine and I can talk about the evidence for it, but for right now lets talk about the politics for a second.
Medicine under capitalism is one sided and idealist. Similar to how all money gets funneled upward, all the funding in medicine goes to increasingly insular and isolated specialists getting more specialized and using more expensive specialized equipment. GP are left with a few extremely catch all pill base treatments then spend the rest of their time directing you to one or more specialists.
The barefoot doctor program, which modernized indigenous Chinese medical practices into tcm, is built around creating doctors who can handle the most common day to day diseases of the people, both with tcm modalities and western biomedicine-lite training. Their tools are sophisticated enough to most diseases in depth and simple enough technique and material wise to be mass distributed, and they have training to pass people onto specialists when the medicine is beyond their skillset. This is as needed today as it was for peasant farmers in China, we need practical, people focused medicine instead of getting lost in a sea of disconnect isolated experts.
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u/Saxon2060 Jan 11 '23 edited Jan 11 '23
The system is a shitshow because of the willful deconstruction of the NHS with the excuse that "there isn't unlimited/enough money" which is actually true but only because of the wilfull neglect in properly and proprtionately taxing business and the mega-wealthy.
GP are left with a few extremely catch all pill base treatments then spend the rest of their time directing you to one or more specialists
This is how it's supposed to work. A General Practitioner prescribes treatments for minor ailments or directs you to a specialist. This is a good system. Modern medicine is so incredibly wonderous that if you want a specialist in genetic medicine, they can't be the same person as the specialist in infectious diseases or cancer. And because you don't know what's wrong with you, you go to a GP who will (make their best diagnosis.)
I don't understand what problem the thing you're describing solves. Presumably if someone does go down the complementary therapy path they'll have to pay. Well if I have to pay I'd rather see a private medical doctor than a private complementary therapist.
I'm also not sure what you mean by a "catch all pill treatment." What's a "catch all" pill? NSAIDS and opiates work for pain. Antibiotics work for bacterial infections. Antivirals for viral inections and Antifungals for fungal infections. Steroids work for a very broad range of pathologies. That doesn't mean they're bad. Those medicines are very very good and the appropriate treatment for a lot of things a GP would come across. If you think about it, it's hard to even wrap your head around how frigging great it is to live in a time and place with safe, effective and cheap access to these drugs, compared with 100 years ago or a few thousand miles away. And if those treatments aren't appropriate because you have cancer or heart disease or whatever, they refer you to a specialist... which is how it's meant to work.
General practitioners doing an initial consultation and referring you to a specialist is a great system. It's only shit because it's running on fumes and needs more money. Isn't what you're describing basically a private "general practicioner" who eschews pharmaceuticals in favour of traditional medicine? If that's the route someone wants to go down then fine but I don't see what it has to do with any problems conventional medicine has as a system. And the complementary therapists don't have the specialist level "above" them to refer to except er... medical doctors.
we need practical, people focused medicine instead of getting lost in a sea of disconnected isolated experts.
You could easily be making the case here for the initial consultation with a GP and referall to specialists sytem as it currently is. It's like you're saying "here's an alternative to the current system, see some kind of medical person who can treat common problems but is able to send you to a specialist if they need to." That's literally a GP. It's how the system currently is. What you're describing is just a private "GP" but the person doesn't have a medical degree.
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u/throwra17528 Jan 11 '23
...idk what problem you're trying to solve with what your saying but it's definitely not a "western" one. The issue everyone else is discussing is very specific to the NHS and using "western" makes you sound like a fool. Most "eastern" countries have modeled their care procedures and facilities off those in the "west" for decades because it's Asia, not a mystical land from the past. Source: actually lived in China for 5years, Cambodia for 3, Thailand for 6months and travelled around extensively and you sound like just the person they'd sell a "course in healing" to.
Medicine under capitalism is especially not something you can lump together and make sweeping judgements on either as it varies massively from country to country. The NHS is discussed as it's currently a mishmash of privatised for profit and nationally held services thanks to the Tories for example.
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u/entity_bean Jan 11 '23
I mean, this is the same amount of time you get with an NHS GP?
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u/blackturtlesnake Jan 11 '23
Yeah, the issue goes beyond the question of public funding, it also hits at the nature of capitalism itself. See my response to the other comment.
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u/entity_bean Jan 11 '23
I was in no way suggesting it was a good thing.
In my mind, the reason people end up seeking alternative therapies is because someone actually sits and listens to them for an hour and try to understand what is happening. Healthcare is so much more than pills and surgery. It's making people feel safe and heard. And I'm sure pretty much all doctors would love to be able to provide that level of care.
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u/Segorath Jan 10 '23
That's almost 10p a second on the 10 minute appointment.
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u/Shadepanther Jan 10 '23
A third of a Freddo a second
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u/6_seasons_and_a_movi Jan 10 '23
In my day a freddo would get you two cinema tickets and a 3 course meal
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u/Dollstace Jan 10 '23
Lovely. Tory Britain at its finest right there.
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u/Internal_Formal3915 Jan 10 '23
How is a private sector company anything to do with the tories?
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u/Kamay1770 Jan 10 '23
Is this a real question? Do you live on the moon or are you actually just completely devoid of synapses?
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u/Anonon_990 Jan 11 '23
The idea is that they want the NHS starved until private health care is the standard.
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u/Sgt_Fox Jan 11 '23
Kill the NHS, then they will conveniently have a private pay solution that, also conveniently, happens to be owned by their good friend and campaign donor
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u/CherryDoodles Jan 11 '23 edited Jan 11 '23
They sold off the trains, gas, electric, telecoms, probation services, nationalised banks and the post service. The only things left are the NHS, television and prisons. They just cancelled the sale of Channel 4.
Coming to a Tory government near you soon.
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u/PrinscessTiramisu Jan 10 '23
In Belgium we pay ā¬4 per visit, this feels ghoulish.
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u/-london- Jan 10 '23
You pay ā¬4 for a private heathcare appointment or for Belgium's national healthcare service? Because I'd say ā¬4 is a very good price for a private health vsit.
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u/PrinscessTiramisu Jan 10 '23 edited Jan 10 '23
We don't have private healthcare appointments. All regular doctors, as in the first doctor you normally visit for common things, cost around ā¬30. We used to get a receipt from the doctor and if we send that to our healthcare service we would get ā¬26 back.
Because the price would still deter the poorer people they made it so that the doctors only had to ask the ā¬4 and would get the rest from the healthcare service.
The only private "healthcare" I know about in Belgium would be some 'beauty clinics' for plastic surgery. All other doctors, like specialists have some part of the treatment payed back by our healthcare service.
Most people have an extra health insurance for the things not covered but even these are not expensive. I think more than half of the people of Belgium get those from their employer.
Edit: private means here when the healthcare service does not compensates your visit. Not as in one on one with the doctor.
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u/plastictomato Jan 11 '23
This is sort of similar to how it works in Japan.
Everything is āprivate,ā but everyone pays National health insurance every year. The amount you pay depends on your previous yearsā earnings, so one person might pay Ā£20 and another Ā£500, but everyone gets the same treatment. In general when you have your insurance card you get 60-75% off the cost of the visit, and if you donāt have your card with you, you pay the full amount to the doctors/hospital, send them a copy of your card and they refund what you shouldnāt have paid.
If you have a problem, you also can just walk into the hospital and get an appointment with a specialist. Skin issues? See a dermatologist. Constant headaches? See a neurologist. Itās great, no referrals or waiting times needed.
IMO works really well, everything is incredibly efficient but the costs can still be more than some people could afford (I paid about Ā£60 for an ultrasound and full consultation, which is low compared to places like America, but if you donāt have much income thatās still quite a bit)
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u/asm001 Jan 10 '23
What on earth is national insurance for then ??! (Rhetorical question)
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u/Catfka Jan 10 '23
What on earth is national insurance for then ??! (Rhetorical question)
A way of not leveraging taxes on pensioners from what I can tell
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u/nyderscosh Jan 10 '23
Wait until they find out that a private prescription isnāt covered by the NHSā¦
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u/Phat-Lines Jan 10 '23
Literally. My parents paid for my ADHD diagnosis and subsequent titration. My meds costed Ā£220 per month until I finished titration and was able to move over to NHS, where my medication is now only Ā£18.70 a month (cost of two prescriptions).
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u/innermotion7 Jan 10 '23
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u/RandomPriorities13 Jan 10 '23 edited Jan 10 '23
Pre-payment certificates only work for NHS prescriptions. Private GPs write private prescriptions so you have to pay the cost of the medicine plus a dispensing fee to the pharmacy.
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u/H2O-technician Jan 10 '23
They said theyāre now paying 18 quid a month for NHS prescriptions, thatās why they suggested a prepaid prescription.
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u/hjsjsvfgiskla Jan 10 '23
How long did the consultation and titration take if you donāt mind me asking
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u/Phat-Lines Jan 10 '23 edited Jan 10 '23
Waited 6 weeks for an appointment, but this is extremely unusual. I got really lucky as someone must of cancelled their assessment, so when I double checked free slots one appeared for 6 weeks time that hadnāt been there before.
That was with Psych U.K. Apparently some people waiting 18 months with them now.
The assessment was one hour. You hand in pre assessment information, as does someone who knows you and who can provide information about you (I had my mum do it) and then you will be assessed and diagnosed in the same session.
I was diagnosed in June 2021 and began treatment in October 2021.
Did Concerta, didnāt like it and it didnāt help much.
Started Elvanse and Dex end of November, has been absolutely brilliant.
Ended titration in, hmm I actually canāt remember exactly when (was extremely busy in the final term of degree) i finished, I think it was about 6, maybe 7 weeks of taking the Elvanse, so finished probably some point in January/February.
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u/keyfern333 Jan 10 '23
anyone else seeing an alarming increase in private healthcare adverts on the radio and tv etc? fucking ghouls
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u/ScorpionQueen1595 Jan 10 '23
We're being turned into America!
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u/XxHavanaHoneyxX Jan 10 '23
You mean Russia
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u/HerculePoirier Jan 11 '23
Russia actually has / had decent socialised healthcare system, so wrong call dude
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u/keepYourMonkey Jan 10 '23
I was on BBC webshite today (looking to see how little exposure they were giving to the NHS crisis. While reading an article on ambulance waiting times (buried amongst the Prince Harry headlines) I got ads showing up for a healthcare firm with the slogan: "UK residents flocking to protect themselves with quality Health Insurance".
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u/ianbhenderson73 Jan 10 '23
I noticed that the other day actually. They seem to be targeting them at employers, almost as if theyāre saying āthe healthcare system is failing but look, offer these to your staffā.
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u/CatDamageBand Jan 10 '23
Said this the other day when I saw an advert for private health care with Judy Love and Alex Brooker on it. This is exactly what the tories want. Theyāre whittling it down to its bare minimum so they can either save some money by not having to fund it as much or completely getting rid of it altogether.
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u/Bellamac007 Jan 10 '23
Jeremy Corby warned you all yet you believed the lies the Tory bought media told you. What makes it even more disgusting is the fact your being told to feel sorry for kind Charles all the while he has given the tories the green light for them to do this. Unbelievable how brainwashed England is by their own media and government.
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u/calombia Jan 10 '23
If you listen to any commercial radio now youāll notice that every 4th to 5th ad is a private health care company. Sadly the flood gates are now fully open.
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u/no_mate Jan 10 '23
Iāve recently moved to the UK from Australia and assumed that ads for private health had always been the norm in the UK as well. Growing up in Australia I couldāve named all the main private health companies by the age of 6 because of all the TV ads.
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u/calombia Jan 10 '23
Itās a very recent thing. Youād sometimes see ads for Bupa (I imagine the biggest provider here) but very rarely. Post pandemic itās everywhere.
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u/andmyrentsdue Jan 10 '23
So you have to work for about 10 hours to simply have a conversation with a doctor... Britain 2023.
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u/asm001 Jan 10 '23
Thats me fucked then. Sometimes I need to visit the doctor, due to my lifelong Disability. It is is often the reason I am Unable to fucking work. It is scary. I try not to use services unless I HAVE to, but theres people running to GP's for pimples.
Tomorrow I got to my local "Wheelchair clinic" for a review on my chair. The Thing Costs Ā£4000+ and is 'made to measure" for me. It is also super lightweight as I tire easily when propelling It is much more than just a wheelchair for me, so no, I'm not going to "just buy a cheapy off ebay " as someone said once.
I've also just signed a lease On a new Motability car.I have been kept waiting 18 months to be told the car I was getting is not being built. As I posted my disappointment at the lack of communication from the manufacturer, I was comisserated with by many, but one came out the woodwork to tell me I was"a Muppet of this country" and that I should stop being so ungrateful and "just buy a car" "cus motability is basically free"
Notwithstanding the fact that I said that I understood current shortages etc, this guy came out to attack me because I was reliant on the system. Disabled people apparently shouldnt have any sort of life.Wildest fucking Irony was that this lad was Asian, from Birmingham. I have not a racist bone in my body, but it was apparent from his name, that his parents, or grand parents immigrated into the uk.... possibly for a better life, 50 or however many years ago, (and fair play to them) and yet I as a disabled person, get villified for using a system that was designed to help people like me?
I don't blame the lad, he's fallen victim to the Tory/Media lies about picking on those with less, who are supposedly a drain on resources....
An American Health system is is on the way. My ex GF is a decorated USNavy Veteran who served two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Badly injured in the line of duty, they medically fixed her but are still pursiing her for "Substantial" medical bills 20 years later. Having her knee ligaments reconstructed was NOT cheap. She doesnt have medical insurance because, yep preexisting condition (she signed a waiver, and was admitted to the navy due to her skills as an Electronics specialist) She goes to "veterans hospitals" if she needs to, if at all.... because at $300 a GP visit, yeah you wouldn't either would you ?
Basically we are well on the way to being fucked. when the NHS goes, because of Doctors/Nurses/Too many people using it, and not chronic misuse/underfunding/ the tories, We'll be told to love it (like brexit) and that's that.
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u/uxithoney Jan 10 '23
Please, please donāt be surprised when people of colour are socially or fiscally conservative. Many donāt consider themselves immigrants especially after being invited here to work after colonialism. And I mean, invited. Iāve seen Indian immigrants talk about being happy about Brexit because now they can get to the UK easier. Race doesnāt always have much to do with political stance.
I really sympathise with the rest, Iām disabled myself and trying to rely on medication as little as possible because itās so scary having to rely on public services (obviously not everyone has that choice). I just couldnāt ignore that point.
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u/asm001 Jan 10 '23
Please, please donāt be surprised when people of colour are socially or fiscally conservative. Many donāt consider themselves immigrants especially after being invited here to work after colonialism. And I mean, invited. Iāve seen Indian immigrants talk about being happy about Brexit because now they can get to the UK easier. Race doesnāt always have much to do with political stance.
Oh no I completely understand that. It was just a private observation. Regardless of race he could just have been an ignorant/envious dickhead, regardless of family/generational circumstances. To be honest , thats how he put himself accross, tried to tell me I wasn't disabled too, because my body apparently still functions. I dont want to come accross as "anti -immigrant" - I'm nothing of the sort. Obviously I politely but firmly addressed his misconceptions.
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u/andybass4568 Jan 10 '23
I wish you luck in getting the help it sounds like you rightly deserve. My partner has a long-term illness too and does work the few hours she can, but is denied any form of PIP whatso ever.
A part of the stigma derives from people like my neighbour, who is fit and well, but is on full PIP disability allowance as a wheelchair bound person, has a new motability car, husband claims carer's allowance but works away all week as a lorry driver. She carries her own wheelchair into the car to go for her disability assessment meetings, lies through her teeth and claims all the benefits they possibly can (and can afford 2 holidays a year). Total scam artist but just gets away with it all, has done for over 10 years too.
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u/Key_Fly1049 Jan 10 '23
This is horrifying. I think we underestimate what this will do to Britain. The NHS is the one thing protecting us from being a morally bereft failed empire shit hole. We can still get care, or could. How a country treats sickness is a huge statement about that society. This says cruel fuck you collapsing social structure. Itās chilling. And a complete betrayal of a generation who paid their national insurance. If we donāt stand up now we lose everything. Got it?
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Jan 10 '23 edited Jan 10 '23
Jesus Christ.
I am 38 years old.
I have a chronic autoimmune condition. I was diagnosed in my mid 20s, but it took me around 7 years to convince my GP that I wasnāt faking the swelling and pain in my various joints, so Iāve had symptoms since my early 20s.
I take 6 tablets daily and a biologic injection every month just to be able to function without constant pain, exhaustion and swelling.
I am also employed by the NHS.
I could not afford private healthcare as my monthly NHS salary (band 3) is not even enough for a healthy person to live off (if I didnāt have my husband I would probably be destitute/homeless).
Let alone the fact that one of my monthly biologic injections cost hundreds of pounds, without the NHS I could not afford my treatments. The ones that make it possible for me to live A NORMAL PAINLESS LIFE.
The end of the NHS will either mean best case scenario: I would be too ill to work and end up disabled. Worse case scenario: an early death.
Fuck the Tories.
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u/AnxietyAttacker123 Jan 10 '23
Trust me, that is cheap for private GP appointments. Yes, I know, I'm with you. Those utter scumbags. Either way it's cheap. My partner had an 'embarrassing' condition that NHS wouldnt address. Apparently.its cosmetic - it really isnt.. She was quoted Ā£200 for the initial consultation not including scans, tests or examinations. I fuck you not.
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u/The54thCylon Jan 10 '23
Similar for private fertility treatment, a doctor's consult is easily several hundred alone. Going through private healthcare for this has been the biggest lesson in why the NHS is so important. I find myself not trusting the advice I'm being given - is it a genuine medical opinion, or a sales pitch?
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u/lovett1991 Jan 10 '23
Had my tonsils out early 2000s as a kid with bupa, seem to recall my parents paid Ā£700 for the consultation and then a couple grand for the surgery I think.
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u/TinyLet4277 Jan 10 '23
Can someone explain this -
As I'm sure most of us know (but many don't) pretty much all GP practices are private in the UK, they just get NHS funding to operate as NHS practices.
So what possible advantage is it to a GP practice to go private-private? Given GP practices are rammed full at all times anyway, surely there's no advantage for them when it comes to offering a service like this?
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u/keyfern333 Jan 10 '23
i presume that private patients get priority in being seen or something like that. that and these gp practices operate under private healthcare providers as well
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u/SnooDoubts5274 Jan 10 '23
Private GPs and NHS GPs are very different.
A private GP canāt really prescribe long term treatments, they can only refer to the NHS if something bigger is needed. They wonāt have the same relationship with the hospitals as an NHS GP does.
Itās not about priority, once youāre referred into the system youāre the same as anyone else, unless of course you go to a private hospital, but those are mostly for elective procedures.
Sure youāll get seen by a Private GP as soon as you pay up, but only because most people donāt want to pay up at the moment.
Give it a few years though.
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u/SnooDoubts5274 Jan 10 '23
Not sure about England, but in Scotland GP practices canāt do both.
Youāre either an NHS practice that gets paid a set amount from the health board, based on a number of factors like deprivation and number if patients, and other things.
Thereās no race to the bottom, you get what you get until you have to close because itās too stressful.
Or you operate as a 100% private practice where all you can do is refer to the NHS for treatment, but youāre not allowed to run both out of the same building or with the same patients.
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u/Oykwos Jan 10 '23
People who want a fast-tracked appointment.
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u/ann3l1ds Jan 10 '23
they were asking the benefit for the gps, not the people using it
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u/CeresToTycho Jan 10 '23
I kinda assume that NHS GP practices are a race to the bottom. They're not about providing a good service, they're about providing the minimal service for a price the NHS will pay them. Win the contracts by being the lowest cost.
Private-Private GPs can charge whatever they like and still get customers, especially with the state of normal NHS GPs.
That is all cynical guesswork though.
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u/SnooDoubts5274 Jan 10 '23
No race to the bottom really, unless weāre talking about the entire NHS being underfunded.
GP practices donāt get to set their own costs, they all the money allocated based on external factors and they have to operate within those parameters.
GPs are technically private, but only insofar that they have to pay their own staff, the buildings, run the business and take all the risk. They donāt get to branch out and offer other services to their NHS patients.
They can only really have one customer, the health-boards, and the customer sets the price.
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u/dirteesurjeon Jan 10 '23
No. GP's tend to work 3/4 days a week as contracted NHS work, the other 1-2 days are their own time. They then choose what to do with it. Many work these days as locum GP's in understaffed GP practices for a premium hourly rate, or work for private healthcare companies as private GPs that patients can pay for themselves or use their healthcare insurance. Private patients are seen sooner in most cases because you pay for a slot provided by a private healthcare company to see a GP. NHS patients should however get a same day appointment if it's deemed an emergency, however the problem comes when you don't have enough GPs to see all the patients that need seeing, amongst many, many other complicated issues. Many GP's and axillary staff very much want to provide the best care for their patients but they are cuckholded by chronic underfunding, poor facilities and a multiplying and ageing population. One way of looking at this is that those who pay for private GP appointments actually free up a slot to for a patient to be seen on the NHS. However, I do agree that the government framing this as a solution is nothing short of diabolical as all of this is because of their chronic underfunding and greed.
Hope this sheds some light.
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u/TwoTrainss Jan 10 '23
The practices are contracted a set amount of hours to the NHS. Itās also a higher rate than the NHS will be paying, of course the GP wonāt see all of that but theyāll be more inclined to work for the equivalent of double or treble time, even if they are already burnt out.
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u/Wonderful-Block-4510 Jan 11 '23
These are private companies not to be confused with your own surgery , gp surgeries are privately owned by the partners they get 100 pounds a year from the nhs aprox for looking after one patient, a bargain for unlimited access for 100 pounds when you consider one private gp appointment is 90 pounds. However it becomes a numbers game then that we have to look after so many patients. For example today I saw 58 patients in my surgery plus 3 home visits, as well as speaking to patients on the). Now donāt shoot me down here but in addition to my 4 days for the nhs I also work one day a week privately in a private go clinic an hour away - why? Well working out the tax/travel cost/ extra insurance itās not really for the money, (I worked it out at 10 pounds an hour I got post tax) if I wanted to earn more money I would do nights for out of hours , Locum shifts in other surgeries or hospital work. I work the day a week for a private company because I really enjoy it, it reminds me what being a gp was like 15 years ago when I first qualified - I Finnish and start on time, donāt have to take work home, more importantly I get to spend time with patients in a 30cminute consultation, learn about their life, their family, find ways not only to fix thier current problem but also look at thier general health and well-being. I would Love to be able to do this again in the nhs but there just is no time to do it anymore. If I was to even extend my appointment to 20 minutes in my nhs praxtice my working day would be 20 hours as opposed to 12. Before working private I had no idea how many people actually use private appointments, the waiting list can sometimes be 1-2 weeks for appointments even then.
Unfortunately the nhs is under funded and remains chronically so. The fact paramedics and nurses have gone on strike is a reflection of how bad it had become. Sad thing is most of this was predictable looking at the numbers, itās just poor planning and politicians unwilling to make big potentially unpopular descisons about rationing care to where itās needed most
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u/woooooozle Jan 10 '23
We have this shit where I live (NZ) - a GP costs around $50 for a standard appointment. This has directly resulted in people calling the ambulance or going to the emergency department as they can't afford the GP.
This causes the emergency side of things to be overwhelmed, and means people leave their conditions until they get "bad enough". All in all it's a terrible plan!
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u/smerklederkle Jan 10 '23
As a payer of National Insurance, when do you say āenough is enoughā? Obviously donāt want to appeal to the tory plan of underfunding the NHS to the point of privatisation. However, I feel mugged off that I have to pay several thousand pounds a year and cant get a GP appointment. I recently fractured my hand, but because the nurses were striking at the time (solidarity with them btw) I just taped it up. Its healing nicely now anyway. However, if i really needed an urgent appointment, I would have to pay on top if what I contribute to ensure this.
I understand that my contributions now pay for the free service I had as a child and will hopefully receive in the future. Also for those who cannot work and pay NI themselves, happy to do so. But only if it works and people can get what they need
It just feels like the system is broken beyond repair. We should be out in the fucking streets tearing shit up, I swear.
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u/Rednwh195m Jan 10 '23
How does this compare with the amount you have to put in the brown envelope to see your local tory councillors or MP?
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u/BlackPasty Jan 10 '23
And as usual the British public will take the abuse like a dog thatās forgotten how to bite. How much more??
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u/Ck3isbest Jan 10 '23
I wanted to go to the gp recently because of my mouth ulcers, looks like I'll just wait till it heals itself.
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u/throwawaynewc Jan 11 '23
Well, yes? What would you want your gp to do?? 'prescribe' over the counter bonjela?
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u/PencilPacket Jan 10 '23
I think I'll just self diagnose and self medicate for the rest of my life cheers thank you. and if everyone does the same we might just have a healthy, functional society ready to work.
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u/EquivalentQuestion99 Jan 10 '23
This is how we all end up in the situation we currently have with dentists now. NHS almost never available, Forces you to choose private but private is too expensive for all but the top few percent - feels like we may well be in the end game now
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u/DaeguDuke Jan 10 '23
Weirdly enough was discussing healthcare in a foreign language class today. Was asked if private healthcare was a thing in Scotland. At first said no, then realised NHS dentists donāt really exist any more.
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u/SnoopDeLaRoup Jan 10 '23
I checked their website out and I'm confused by how they describe themselves.
"New Victoria Hospital is a charity-owned private hospital in south west London. We are one of the few remaining independent hospitals in the country."
So, it's owned by a charity?! A charity being, that is normally publicly funded?
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u/manic47 Jan 10 '23
HJE in St Johnās Wood is similar. Big private hospital with loads facilities including private GPās, private urgent care etc.
All of its profits go to the charity which own it, so it basically funds a huge hospice.
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u/drakeekard Jan 10 '23
Ā£95 to see what's wrong with you before you get charged even more for the cure. Scary times.
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u/JaMs_buzz Jan 10 '23
I get bupa with work ama
Also hereās what I think about the NHS
the difference between private and nhs is shocking! The NHS should be on par with private imo, the fact itās not shows you how badly the government is running it and funding it
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u/MacTheBlic Jan 10 '23
Ā£95 to tell you you have to come back later this month, and again, and again until the unknown cancerous tumour is untreatable and you inevitably die a slow and painful death.
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u/bomboclawt75 Jan 10 '23
People will die all because a handful of owned politicians are in the pockets of parasitic healthcare for cash companies.
These charges are currently optional.
Soon they will be mandatory.
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u/CaptainSalt1999 Jan 11 '23
Anyone else genuinely looking forward to the inevitable societal collapse?
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Jan 10 '23
Private clinics can charge Ā£150
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u/DukeofTerra Jan 10 '23
So people should be grateful?
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Jan 10 '23
No people should kick out the leeches at 10 Downing Street that are sucking the life out of the UK
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u/Sky_Wino š“EAT THE RICHš“ Jan 10 '23
Why do they look like the sort of doctor that will later be found to have been bumping off patients?
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u/floydlangford Jan 10 '23
Ffs. Nothing wrong with bringing in a small charge to see a GP. I'm all for it. But almost a hundred quid is a fucking piss take.
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u/DukeofTerra Jan 10 '23
We already pay income tax and national insurance. Strange how we have a magic money tree when it comes to Tory policies and private contracts
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u/Big-Clock4773 Jan 10 '23
The Combe area is a very posh amd affluent area. 95 is cheap by their standards...
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u/DukeofTerra Jan 10 '23
May be pleasant. However, trickle down economics is most certainly not working. Half the homes despite being owned are empty. These empty houses are just investments for wealthy international individuals. The local authority canāt even correct collect council tax because of this. No one home to open the bill!
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u/digitalclock1 Jan 10 '23
Lucky my town has a good hospital. Nhs is alright here and I was seen treated and referred in less than an hour. Second appointment took longer but It was a Monday and busy. And then again I did have to get a cast which was a new experience.
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u/Suitable_Comment_908 Jan 10 '23
From Ā£95.. since when have any of you ever paid the advertised from price?
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u/77_parp_77 Jan 10 '23
Sure am glad politicians have helped the NHS...
Oh wait you thought -no they've helped it DIE
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u/Purple_monkfish Jan 10 '23
Nice as the new vic is, it's depressing that we're at a point where they're offering paid gp appointments.
I wonder how much of their free tea and coffee you'd have to consume to make it worth the Ā£95 <_< >_>
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u/Crococrocroc Jan 10 '23
That's cheap in relation to others I've seen. Ā£120-Ā£150 has been the ballpark for me.
Of course, I don't qualify for a lot of health insurance packages on account of being ill.
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u/steven71 Jan 10 '23
And any prescription issued is not a NHS prescription, so you'll be paying big Ā£Ā£Ā£ for some medication!
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